Preview New Zealand Darts Masters 2023: Who will take the latest World Series title in Hamilton?

Wednesday, 02 August 2023 at 08:00

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Traditionally, August is the month when World Series tournaments are played in New Zealand and Australia. Again, this year, this season it is a two part series, where in past years it was a three part series each time.

First of all, the top darters can be admired in Hamilton, where the New Zealand Darts Masters will be held on August 5 and 6. This tournament is on the calendar for the third time, although from 2015 and 2018 the title was competed in New Zealand's Auckland.

In its first edition in 2019, the New Zealand Darts Masters was won by Michael van Gerwen, who beat Raymond van Barneveld 8-1 in the final. In 2022, the title went to Gerwyn Price.

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Where will the tournament be played?

The event will take place at the Globax Arena in the New Zealand city of Hamilton. This playing venue hosts music concerts, international sporting events and major conferences.

The arena is one of the home grounds of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic netball team, which is active in the ANZ Championship. Famed singer Bob Dylan also performed at the Globax Arena in 2014.

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Who will participate?

The field of participants at the New Zealand Darts Masters consists of sixteen players. The eight PDC players will compete against the eight best players from the Oceanic countries.

Leading the lineup is world champion and world number one Michael Smith. Also competing are Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross, Danny Noppert, Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri van den Bergh.

The Oceanic representation includes Simon Whitlock, Ben Robb, Haupai Puha, Darren Herewini, Johnny Tata, Kayden Milne, Warren Parry and Darren Penhall. In the draw for the New Zealand Darts Masters, they will be paired with one of eight PDC players.

Where can I watch the New Zealand Darts Masters live?

The World Series tournament will be broadcast by PDCTV mainly live from 6am BST on both days. ITV4 will show it on delay from 5pm and 7pm on Friday and Saturday.

How much prize money is to be won?

The prize pool for this event contains a total of £60,000. However, the prize money won does not count toward the PDC Order of Merit or other money rankings.

All participants are guaranteed £1,250 in prize money. This amount could eventually rise to a sum of £20,000 in prize money for the winner.

What are the World Series of Darts?

World Series tournaments are international events of the PDC which are organized to promote the sport beyond its (Western) European borders.

Earlier this year, tournaments also took place in Bahrain, Denmark, the United States and Poland. After the tournament in New Zealand, there will also be another event in Australia before the World Series of Darts Finals take place in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam in September. Past World Series tournaments have also been scheduled in Dubai, Singapore, Japan, Scotland, China, Germany and Austria.